BackBharti Enterprises acquires minority stake in OneWeb
Bharti becomes a founding member of consortium aiming to provide affordable Internet access globally
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New Delhi: Bharti Enterprises has acquired a strategic minority stake in satellite operator OneWeb, becoming a founding member of the consortium that aims to provide affordable Internet access across the globe, the company said on Thursday.
The size of the stake and value of the transaction were not disclosed.
“OneWeb’s mission is to enable affordable Internet access for everyone and the Company aims to build a communications network with an initial constellation of 648 Low Earth Orbit satellites that will provide connectivity to billions of people around the world," Bharti Enterprises in a statement.
“The OneWeb User Terminals contain embedded LTE, 3G, 2G and Wifi access capabilities that extend the reach of mobile operators. With more than 10 terabits per second of new capacity, the system will transparently extend the networks of mobile operators and ISPs (Internet service providers) to serve new coverage areas, bringing voice and data access to consumers, businesses, schools, healthcare institutions and other end users," the statement said.
OneWeb said that it had raised $500 million from its investors. Other investors in the consortium include Qualcomm Inc., Virgin Group, Airbus Group, Coca-Cola Co., Intelsat, Hughes and Grupo Salinas, among others.
The service is expected to start in 2019 across more than 50 countries and territories. The service is expected to allow access to the Internet in the remotest areas as well as in the air (on Airbus planes).
OneWeb had said recently that it had formed a joint venture with Airbus Space and Defence to build the highest volume satellite production factory in the world.
On Thursday, OneWeb also said it had made the largest commercial acquisition of satellite launchers, purchasing more than 65 rockets from Arianespace and Virgin Galactic.
“Arianespace will be providing 21 Soyuz rockets from 3 separate launch pads on a firm schedule, 5 Soyuz options and 3 Ariane 6 options. Virgin Galactic will be providing 39 separate launches," the Bharti Enterprises statement said.
Bharti Airtel Ltd, a group company of Bharti Enterprises and the world’s fourth largest communications service provider, will be able to leverage the investment by becoming a preferred distributor of OneWeb services across its operations in 20 countries. Bharti Airtel’s mobile network covers a population of almost two billion, mostly in emerging markets.
OneWeb satellites will provide high-speed connectivity to a small user terminal which will transmit broadband access using various technologies, including Wi-Fi, LTE (Long-Term Evolution, or 4G), 3G and 2G to surrounding areas.
Essentially, a Bharti Airtel user who walks near a terminal will get access, even if there is no telecom tower around, and operate as normal, using either the prepaid or postpaid billing platform of Bharti.
“Any user handset can ‘roam’ onto the OneWeb network, without knowing that they are roaming," the statement said.
The terminals can be optionally solar-powered and used as community access points in schools, health centres or other locations.
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